Building construction



Sept. 6, 1932. A. F. BEMIS 1,876,198

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 12. 19:50 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 30 u so 26 /4 v 4 E I 2f J0 J3 F [3 fnva ntor 50 Alkert l7 Benz/7 2a 25 22 w MW:

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Patented Sept. 6, 1932.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT F. BEMIS, F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO IBEMIS INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BUILDING; CONSTRUCTION Application filed March 12, 1930. Serial No. 435,120.

This invention relates to improvements in building construction and more particularly to a wall assembly having advantageously disposed metal elements including intermediate sheets or web plates and stiffening or reinforcing parts. Some of the. aspects of the present invention provide an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my copendin application, Serial No. 266,956, filed April 3, 1928.

In accordance with the present invention, parallel frame memberssuch as sills and/or girts may conveniently be formed with Web plates having marginal reinforcements in the form of structural elements such as angles- Thus, in the preferred embodiment of the invention these frame members may be provided with vertically disposed web plates and with reinforcements secured to the margins of the web plates and affording outstanding marginal flanges at each side of the plates.

Preferably suitable-panels may be disposed between the horizontal frame members and connected thereto, these panels having the same general construction as the frame members themselves, and including web plates with marginal reinforcements formed of angles or other suitable structural elements.

An arrangement of this character provides a wall which may be, for example, of a story in height, having many of the characteristics of a conventional plate girder, the vertical reinforcements of the web plates, and particularl of the plates of the intermediate 5 panels, eing effective in permitting the latter to aid the structural strength'and stability of the assembly.#

In the preferred embodiment of this invention the vertical edges of the panels are pref- 40 erably spaced from each other and secured in engagement with filler or ground elements of nonmetallic material such as wood, these elements providing additional reinforcing members which serve to stiffen the assembly,

and being particularly advantageous in permitting the ready assembly of these parts without necessitating a high degree of accuracy or particular care in their manufacture.

Thus, the flanges upon the frame members may be provided with suitable openings spaced, for example, at modular distances from each other in the same general manner as set forth in my copending application Sr.

.No. 266,956, while the flanges upon the wall panels may be provided with openings to register with the openings on the frame mem-, bers so that the parts may be connected to each other by suitable fastening elements such as bolts or rivets. In order to permit the ready bringing of the openings into accurate registration with each other, it would be necessary to carefully dimension the various panels and to avoid possibility of cumulative errors or inaccuracies. The provision of the intermediate filler members of wood or the like, however, permits a suitable variation in the exact disposition of the individual panels so that the openings in the same may be readily brought into proper registration with the openings in the girts, sills or the like. Thus,

the panels and frame members may be constructed under conditions of quantity productionwithout necessity for extreme accuracy in workmanship, and without requiring especial care in the assembly of the parts to form the resulting wall. Furthermore, the

arrangement of the wooden filler members affords convenient means for the mounting of window or door frames or the like, it being understood that in such cases smaller panels of standardized sizes may be located above and below openings thus provided, these panels ordinarily being the same general type as the main wall panels. Preferably the web plates are extended to provide outstanding ribs at the edges of the panels which may engage suitable grooves or saw kerfs in the wooden filler members, thus firmly locking the parts together and enhancing the stability and strength of the wall assembly.

In accordance with the present invention, the various parallel frame members such as the horizontal structural members may be connected at the corners or intersections of walls with osts which maybe built up of a plurality of separate elements. Preferably the post may comprise one or more main angle members, each of the legs of these members having a flange at right angles thereto and turned toward the opposite leg. Smaller 1 angles may be secured to these legs to provide flanges aligned with the flanges upon the legs themselves, but extending in the opposite direction. One or more of these main angle members may be employed to provide a post connecting one or more walls, thus one angle may be employed with the suitable smaller angles secured to its legs at the corner of two walls. Two of these members with a pair of smaller angles secured thereto may be employed at the intersection of three walls, while four of these members without the smaller angles may be employed at the inter-= section of four walls.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken cross-sectional view of a Vertical wall assembly constructed in accord ance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of such an assembly showing the arrangement of the same to provide a window open- Fig. 3 is a broken horizontal section through a wall assembly of the character shown in Fig. 1, disclosing two forms of posts;

Fig. t is a sectional view of a main angle member which is employed in the difl'erent forms of posts;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an end of a horizontal frame member connected to the upper end of a post which may be located at the intersection of walls;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of a filler member and marginal portions of main panels connected thereto; and

Fig. 7 is indicated by a sectional detail of a post and adjoining wall structure.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 5 thereof, the horizontal frame members 1, such as the sills and girts, may be provided with vertically disposed web plates 2 which are rectangular and which may have marginal reinforcing elements 3 such as angles secured to their opposite faces, and mounted upon both their horizontal and their vertical edges. Thus one leg of each angle may be secured in face-to-face engagement with a marginal face of the sheet or plate 2, while its other leg provides an outstanding marginal flange 5. Preferably angles 3 may be secured to the web plates 2 by welding, although any other suitable means such as rivets, bolts or the like may be employed. As shown in Fig. 5, the ends of the angles, and particularly of the legs thereof which engage the web plate may be beveled or mitered at the corners of the plate, as designated by numeral 7. Preferably the horizontal flanges 5 are provided with openings 6 which may be spaced at a suitable distance from each other in accordance with a modular arrangement such as disclosed and described in my copendremiss ing application Sr. No. 414,056, filed December 14, 1929.

The horizontal frame members may be connected to suitable posts at the corners and/ or intersections of walls, such as those illustrated in Figs. 3, 5 and 7. These posts each comprise one or more main angle members 11, one of which is shown in cross section in Fig. 4, having legs 12 at right angles to each other, the edges of these legs being provided with integral flanges 13 at right angles to.

their planes and extending toward each other so that the member 11, as viewed in cross section, may have two sides 12 defining the two sides of a square and two flange portions 13, each defining substantially one-half of one of the opposite sides of the square. When the members 11 are employed to connect two or three wall assemblies to each other, the legs 12 of the main angles are disposed substantially in the median planes of these assemblies and smaller angles 14 may be secured to legs 12 to provide flanges 15 (Fig. 3) aligned with flanges 13. Suitable openings 16 may be provided in the flanges 13 and 15 to receive fastening elements 17 such as bolts that pass through openings in the marginal reinforcements at the ends of the horizontal frame members. Thus, such a frame member may be connected to the post as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. At the intersection of walls in two planes, as at the right of Fig. 3, two of the main angle members 11 may have their legs 12 secured in face to face engagement by welding or the like, thus providing flanges 13 extending away from each other to engage suitable fastenings or connecting members for securing one wall to the post. The other legs 12 of these angles 11 may be provided with smaller angles 14 arranged in the same manner as previously described to cooperate with the remaining flanges 13 of the main angles to receive the connecting elements from the other wall portions.

When a four way connection is to be provided, an assembly comprising four of the main angles 11, each of the same having its legs engaging two adjoining angles, may be provided as shown in Fig. 5. Thus this arrangement may be employed without requiring the provision of small angles 14 in order to afford suitable flanges for connection to the Various wall assemblies.

Preferably wall panels 20 may be disposed between the horizontal frame members, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. These wall panels may be of the same general construction as the horizontal frame members, but may have different dimensions having a width of the order of that ordinarily preferred for door or window openings, and ordinarily having a height that will permit-them to eX- tend from one horizontal frame member to another. Thus, these wall panels may be provided with web plates 22, with horizontal ribs 27 in the plane of each web sheet 22. On the other hand, at the horizontal edges of V the panels as well as at all ofthe edges of the frame members, the web sheets preferably areso dimensioned that there will not be any likelihood of their projecting be'ond the flanges, despite slight inaccuracies in workmanship.

Preferably filler members 30 which may conveniently be upright elements of wood may be disposedbetween the vertical edges of panels 20. The members 30 may conveniently be formed of wood which has been treated with a suitable protective impregnating agent such as a water and/or fireresistant pitch or the like. Preferably the wooded uprights are provided with vertically disposed grooves or saw kerfs 31 which may engage the ribs 27 provided by the projecting edges of plates 22. Suitable openings preferably spaced at modular dimensions may be PI'OVldQCl in both-the horizontal flanges 24 and the vertical flanges 26 of the wall panels. Preferably in assembly the Wall panels are first connected to the filler members 30 by suitable bolts 35 or the like, these bolts belng drawn up until the openings in the horizontal flanges of the panels are brought into accurate registration with the openings in the flanges of the frame members. Since the material of the filler members 30 is somewhat yieldable and compressible, they will'permit a reasonable variationin the positioning of the individual panels to permit the openings'properly to bebrought into registration so that fastening elements 40 may be employed to connect flanges 5 and 24. Preferably members 30 are not only disposed between the vertical edges of the wall panels, but they are also disposed between the same and the flanges 13 and/or 15 of the posts, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. Not only are the members 30 advantageous in providing means facilitating the accurate assembly of the wall without requiring painstaking care or accuracy in the manufacture of the component parts thereof, but also these members are effective in reinforcing and stiffening the wall plates 22, thus cooperatingwiththe flanges 26 of angles 25 in providing a plate girder effect so that the various parts of the .wall are advantageous- .ly cllsposed to recelve structural strains.

Furthermore, the members 30 provide suitable strlps or grounds for the connection. of wallrfinishmg elements 50 such as lathing than the bolts 35. Suitable sections, panels, sheathing boards or the like (Fig. 7 If desired members. 30 may be treated with a protective agent such as a suitable pitch which may waterproof these parts while making them fire resistant. For example, when a non-inflammable chlorethylene solvent is employed with asphaltum, a suflicient amount of the non-inflammable solvent is retained to render the wood substantially fireproof.

Fi 2 illustrates the manner in which the mem ers 30 may be employed when a window opening is to be provided in the wall. With this arrangement the vertical flanges'26 of the adjoining wall panels 20 may be secured to the portions of the members 30 adjoining the opening by lag screws 400 rather horizontal frame members or lintels 41 may be disposed between the members 30 and secured thereto in the usual manner in order to define the horizontal edges or margins'of the window-opening. Preferably suitable auxiliary panels 50 and 51v may be disposed between members 41 and the upper and lower horizontal frame members respectively. Each of these auxiliary' panels may be of the same general construction as the main wall panels having ver-' tical reinforcements 57 in the form of angles and horizontal reinforcements 58. The flanges provided by the reinforcements 57 may be connected by bolts 35 to the adjoining filler members 30 and the adjoining flanges of the main wall plates 20 at either side of the opening. The lower horizontal reinforcement of the panel 51 may be connected to the upper flange upon the adjoining horizontal frame. member 1 by bolts 40, while the upper angle 58 upon the panel 50 may be similarly connected to the adjoining membar, the other horizontal reinforcements 58 being connected to the horizontal members 41 which cooperate with the members 30 in defining the window opening. It is evident that a door opening may be provided. in.

the same general manner, that panel 51 and lower member 41 being omitted.

From the foregoing it willbe evident that I have provided a building construction which permits the employment of a comparatively few standardized structural elements such as angles and web plates in order to provide a rigid wall assembly having intermediate plates dividing the interior of ing fastenings uniformly disposed; accordingly the various parts of wall assembly may manufacture under extremely or nice mechanical tolerances.

. be readily manufactured out of standardized stock which may be formed into panels and frame members having various modular dimensions.

I claim:

1. A building construction comprising frame members having web plates and marginal reinforcements providing flanges at right angles to the plates, intermediate panels including web plates substantially in the plane of the first-named plates, marginal reinforcements for said panels providing flanges in juxtaposition to the flanges upon the frame members and connected thereto, and filler members disposed between the edges of adjoining panels, said filler members having grooves receiving the edges of web plates.

2. A building construction comprising frame members having web plates and marginal reinforcements providing flanges at right angles to the plates, intermediate panels including web plates substantially in the plane of the first-named plates, marginal reinforcements for said panels providing flanges in juxtaposition to the flanges upon the frame members and connected thereto,

. edges of an opening between said panels, and

a horizontal element disposed between the members of said pair to. define a horizontal edge of the opening.

4. A building construction comprising parallel frame members, said frame members having parallel flanges, filler panels with flange portions secured to said parallel flanges, filler members disposed between the panels, flanges upon the latter engaging said filler members, and connections securing said last-named flanges to said members, a pair of the filler members extending along the vertical edges of an opening between said panels and a horizontal element disposed between the members of said pair to define a horizontal edge of the opening, and a panel similar to the wall panels between the horizontal element and the adjoining frame member.

5. A building construction comprising parellel frame members, said frame members having parallel flanges, panels with flange portions secured to said parallel flanges, filler members disposed between the panels, flanges nave, 19a

upon the latter engaging said filler members,

and connections securing said last-named flanges to said members, a" pair of the filler members extending along the vertical edges rial between the juxtaposed edges of the panels, and fastening means extending through the openings in the flangesand securing the panels to the frame member, the fillers between the panels permitting slight variation in the positioning of the panels in relation to the frame member to permit ready registration of the openings.

7. A building construction comprising posts, an elongate frame member having its ends connected to the posts, juxtaposed panels between the posts and connected to the frame member, said frame member having an elongate flange, flanges upon the panels being juxtaposed to said flange, allof said flanges having repetitive openings therein, and fastening members extending through the openings to secure the panels to the frame member, filler elements of somewhat compressible material between the juxtaposed edges of the flanges permitting slight lateralvariation in the positioning of the panels to facilitate'registration of the openings in the panel flanges with the openings in the flanges on the frame member, similar filler elements also being disposed between the posts and the panels at the ends of the frame member, and

means interconnecting the panels and the filler elements therebetween.

8. A building construction comprising an elongate frame member having a flange portion, a plurality of panels having flanges 1 juxtaposed to the flange upon the frame memher, the flange upon the frame member and the flanges upon the panels having repetitive openin s, fillers of compressible material between t e juxtaposed edges of the panels, and fastening means extending through the openings in the flanges and securing the panels to the frame member, the fillers between the panels permitting slight variation in.the positioning of the panels in relation to the frame member to permit ready registration of the openings, said filler members being formed of material which readily receives nails, and thus providing grounds for the application of wall finish.

9. A building construction comprising intersecting walls, a post at the intersection of the walls, said post including similar angle members, each angle member having an integral flange upon each of its legs extending at right angles to thatleg and turned in toward the other leg, the angle members having adjoining legs in face to face juxtaposition substantially in the plane of one of the walls-and providing flanges at right angles to 10 the plane of that wall.

10. A building construction comprising three intersecting walls, a post at the intersection of said walls, said post comprising two an 1e members, each member having in 15 tegral anges upon each of its legs turned inwardly at right angles to the plane of the leg, said angle members having legs in face to face juxtaposition with their integral flanges pro- Jecting in opposite directions, and smaller so angles secured to the other legs of said angle members and providing flanges extending away from the integral flanges upon the legs of said angle members, whereby a pair of flanges extending transversely to the plane as of each wall is provided by the post.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this sixth day of March, 1930.

ALBERT F. BEMIS. 

